Latest news with #Corsica
Times
16-07-2025
- Automotive
- Times
‘I booked a petrol hire car but was given an EV instead'
✉ I rent cars abroad about four times a year, usually with Hertz. On a recent trip to Corsica I booked a small manual petrol car but was only offered an electric vehicle on arrival. Unfamiliar with EVs and Corsica's charging infrastructure, as well as the true range of the car, I felt forced to pay extra to upgrade to a petrol car. I understand that fuel type isn't always guaranteed but this seems to be a growing issue. Do any major rental companies guarantee petrol/diesel cars? For my upcoming Hertz booking in Crete, the confirmation doesn't mention EVs. Can I assume I'll get the fuel type I selected?Owen Warnock Bigger rental companies won't guarantee petrol/diesel cars even if you get a note put on your booking specifying that you don't want an EV. Hertz, for example, said it could not guarantee a 'specific make, model, transmission or fuel type'. The best way to get what you want is to book with a reputable smaller, local company, which will have a smaller fleet and more personal service. In Crete try the highly rated Anna Cars which can guarantee no EVs because it doesn't have any ( ✉ On May 31 I was on a Ryanair flight to Stansted, coming home from a hen weekend in Biarritz in the south of France. I couldn't check in online due to a visa check issue (I'm Canadian), so I planned to do it at the airport. But when I finally got to the desk, I was told the flight was overbooked and I'd need to wait and see if any seats were freed up. In fact, six passengers, including another girl in the hen party, were left stranded, with zero support (when we rang Ryanair we were just told to go to a check-in desk but there were none of its staff there to help). The other hen and I had to find our own way home via Bilbao and this involved a two-hour night bus ride, a £120 airport hotel and a £200 flight. Ryanair has since made it near impossible to claim the compensation I'm legally owed. Its forms don't allow overbooking claims and I've had irrelevant replies to my complaints. Can you help?Jessica Pearce You and your fellow hen had a miserable experience but, as is so often the case, human error is to blame for your inability to claim compensation. A Ryanair spokesperson said your flight was not overbooked but a smaller plane had to be substituted for operational reasons: 'As a result, a small number of passengers were unable to travel on this fully booked flight. Regrettably, when informing Ryanair, the third-party ticket desk agent at Biarritz airport failed to include this passenger's details and as a result this passenger did not receive the email required to submit her EU261 compensation claim. A member of our customer service team has since been in contact to further assist this passenger with her claim.' ✉ My husband and I would like to take a trip to celebrate my son turning ten next year. We're flexible on when we go (Easter or summer) and my husband wants to take him to the theme parks in Florida, as his parents did with him when he was ten. I can't think of anything worse. Could you suggest a trip/route that would balance out the crowds and noise, experiencing more of Florida? I'd like to see the Keys and the Everglades. We have a budget of up to £15,000 for us all for up to a Pratley Audley Travel could tailor-make this trip for you, starting with five nights in Orlando — three nights at Drury Plaza Orlando, in the Disney Springs area, and two nights at Loews Sapphire Falls Resort at Universal Orlando — with Disney and Universal tickets included. (You could make your theme park experiences slightly less painful by buying skip-the-queue passes which at Disney are called Lightning Lane and at Universal Express Pass, and should be invaluable during the school holidays). Then escape the madness by flying down to laid-back Key West for three nights at Oceans Edge Resort. You could add a kayak or snorkelling tour to explore the crystal-clear waters. Next, pick up a hire car and drive about two hours to Marathon, between Key West and Key Largo. Don't miss a visit to the brilliant Turtle Hospital, which should be perfect for your ten-year-old ( You'd then have a two-night stay at the gorgeous Isla Bella Beach Resort before heading west to Naples for three nights at Naples Bay Resort and an airboat tour of the Everglades. A 14-night trip like this during next year's Easter holidays would start at about £15,000 for the three of you, including flights, car hire, theme park tickets and hotel stays sharing one room, room-only ( ✉ I'm travelling to Peru with my daughter in January. She'll be on a work trip so I thought I could go on my own to Cusco and Machu Picchu but I can't find a travel company that will organise a three-day trip with a small group and guide. Any ideas?Marie Thompson It's essential to book this Machu Picchu trip as soon as possible because permits to visit the site in January sell out quickly. The local operator Alpaca Expeditions has a two-night tour that also includes exploring Cusco City and the Sacred Valley and involves lots of walking but no trekking. It starts at £513pp, including two nights' B&B (based on sharing a room, single supplement £110), guiding, permit and entrance ticket and transport, and the company warns that because flights to Cusco are often cancelled, you should aim to arrive in the city at least two days before your trip, which will also allow you to acclimatise to the altitude ( ✉ We're three friends in our late sixties who take a short break together every year. Our next choice is Vienna. Can you recommend the best area of the city for us to stay in? We're interested in historical sites, museums and city parks with the occasional shopping trip thrown in. Also, is the city easy to get around?Melanie Lloyd Vienna is a brilliant choice for a short break. It packs a huge cultural punch, is very walkable and, mercifully, doesn't suffer from the overtourism of so many European capitals. Stay in the compact First District (or Innere Stadt) and you'll have the Hofburg Palace, St Stephen's Cathedral and the Vienna State Opera, as well as high-end shopping streets like Kärntner Strasse and Graben, on your doorstep. The large and lovely Stadtpark, home to the golden statue of Johann Strauss, is here too. For a taste of the city's imperial Habsburg past, stay in the small and central König von Ungarn, which dates back to the 17th century and has 44 elegant rooms, a glass-roofed courtyard and vaulted restaurant where you can sample a schnitzel. B&B doubles (or twins) start at £255 in September ( The city's fast and efficient public transport is another of its high points and a 72-hour travel card costs £14.50 ( Have you got a holiday dilemma? Email traveldoctor@
France 24
14-07-2025
- France 24
Want to shrink your carbon footprint this summer? Try slow travel!
France 05:03 Issued on: 05:03 min Summer holidays are in full swing, but how can we travel without polluting? One option is sailing across the Mediterranean. A French cooperative is offering an alternative to flying or taking the ferry with a new sailboat route between mainland France and Corsica. It's a long, slow and expensive adventure, but it's the greenest way to get there. Aurore Cloé Dupuis and Alexandra Renard tested "slow travelling" for us in this edition of Down to Earth.
The Independent
13-07-2025
- Health
- The Independent
What is chikungunya? How to avoid debilitating virus while on holiday as cases rise in France
Health officials are warning travellers of a mosquito-borne virus that can cause debilitating joint pain, after cases emerged in areas of France. While the virus known as chikungunya is more commonly found in tropical areas of the world, cases have now been appeared in France, a popular holiday destination for Brits, especially during the summer months. This year so far, France has reported 14 cases of chikungunya virus, on the mainland and the French island of Corsica. While Europe is not currently experiencing a severe outbreak, health officials on the continent are making travellers aware of the virus as well as the rollout of a new vaccine in the UK. We have rounded up what travellers need to know about the virus, plus advice from a specialist travel doctor on how to best prepare for travelling overseas. What is chikungunya and how is it spread? Chikungunya virus disease is a mosquito-borne disease that is found across tropical and sub-tropical regions. It is spread to humans by a bite from an infected mosquito. It cannot be passed from human to human. Most cases have been found in the Americas, Africa and Asia. Brazil has the most cases, with over 141,000, followed by Argentina with over 2,500 so far in 2025. In total, there have been approximately 220,000 chikungunya cases and 80 related deaths across 14 countries/territories since the beginning of the year. Réunion and Mayotte, two French islands off the east coast of Africa, have ongoing outbreaks of chikungunya, with the former recording 51,000 cases as of May 2025. Mayotte has seen 560 cases, with the island moved to the epidemic phase, which indicates intense and widespread transmission of the virus throughout the territory. The transmission of dengue and chikungunya virus in mainland Europe has been linked by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) to travellers who have caught the virus outside the region, then gone to countries within Europe with mosquitoes that are able to carry the virus after biting the person. 'The risk of locally acquired chikungunya and dengue virus transmissions is therefore increasing,' the ECDC said. What are the symptoms? 'Chikungunya' comes from a word used by the Makonde people in Tanzania, where the disease was first discovered in the 1950s, which means 'that which bends up'. This describes the contorted posture of infected people who experience severe joint pain. Alongside joint pain, people can also experience an abrupt onset of fever, joint swelling, muscle pain, headaches, nausea, fatigue and rashes. The joint pain can be debilitating and usually lasts for a few days, but it has been known to last for weeks, months or even years. If an infected person does not experience joint pain, the symptoms will be mild and can go unrecognised as chikungunya. Most people will recover fully from the infection. There have been some occasional cases of eye, heart, and neurological complications, while newborns and older people with underlying medical conditions are at a higher risk of severe disease. Patients with severe disease should be hospitalised because of the risk of organ damage or death. Once someone has recovered from chikungunya, they are likely to be immune to future chikungunya infections. Is there a vaccine? The UK government has approved a vaccine against chikungunya disease, containing a form of the virus that has been weakened so it cannot multiply. The vaccine works by training the immune system to recognise the virus, which will then produce specific antibodies to attack it. It can only be obtained via a prescription and given to those who plan to travel abroad where the virus is present. Last month, the government released a further announcement to say that the Commission on Human Medicines has temporarily restricted the use of the vaccine in people aged 65 and over as a precautionary measure. To prevent getting bitten by mosquitoes, the World Health Organisation advises using insecticides; wearing clothing that minimises skin exposure; using window and door screens, and insecticide-treated mosquito nets; and applying certain repellants to skin and clothing. A travel doctor's guide on being prepared Dr Richard Dawood, a travel medical specialist at Fleet Street Clinic, explained to The Independent how the vaccination can help travellers prevent getting sick from the chikungunya virus. He said: 'This is a new situation for us. Until a very short time ago, we had no vaccine, and the only approach to prevention was to make careful use of insect repellents and insect precautions. 'So now we've got this extra tool in the armoury, and because the vaccine gives long-lasting protection, it's something that could be considered if you are planning to travel over a period of time. 'It's a fairly expensive vaccine, but if you're going to be travelling over a period of years to Southern Europe and beyond, it may be something that could be considered.' When asked about getting the vaccination for a trip to France, Mr Dawood advised to look at the decision in terms of where you will be travelling over the next few years rather than in the context of a single trip. 'The risk from a one-off short trip to France is probably very small,' he said. 'There's been only a very small number of cases so far. So statistically, you're not very likely to, but over time, as somebody who loves to travel and loves going to hot countries, then I would probably want to be protected against it in the long term.' Wherever you are travelling, Mr Dawood advised holidaymakers to 'do your homework'. He said: 'If there's an actual outbreak at your destination, then I would say no hesitation, definitely have the vaccine. 'Taking a bit of time and getting some really focused travel health advice for your particular trip is very worthwhile because it can save you from getting a vaccine that you don't need or that may not be sensible for you, and it can help prioritise the really important things for your trip.
Times
10-07-2025
- Times
26 of the best things to do in Corsica
When a place is nicknamed 'the isle of beauty', expectations are set high. Luckily, Corsica rises to the challenge, with platinum beaches, cerulean waters, wave-carved cliffs, hilltop villages, plunging gorges and miles of wild, scented maquis shrubland. Southeast of the Cote d'Azur and north of Sardinia, Corsica's culture, cuisine and language have dual influences — Balzac called it a 'French island basking in the Italian sun' — but more than anything it's fiercely independent, with a strong sense of local identity and pride. The fourth-largest island in the Mediterranean remains a little under-the-radar for UK visitors, so whether you come to bask on sandy Rondinara beach, taste Patrimonio wine, wander the backstreets of historic Bonifacio or hike the rugged GR20 trail, you won't hear huge numbers of other British accents. Here's a taste of what to do. This article contains affiliate links, which may earn us revenue The Ospedale Forest feels wilder than it should, considering it's about half an hour's drive from Porto-Vecchio. Hike through pine and beech glades, among dramatic granite boulders and under a waterfall tumbling 70 metres from a rock face, then swim in the limpid lake. When night falls, you needn't head back to habitation if you've booked a stay at Cocoon Village, an off-grid glamping site where the suspended bubble tents feature comfortable double beds. Each feels entirely remote — one is accessed by a via ferrata with a zipline for the way down — so you'll hear only birdsong and enjoy starry skies with little light mostly uninhabited Lavezzi Islands in southeastern Corsica show off some of the island's finest beaches and offer superb snorkelling opportunities. At the reefs here, schools of rainbow wrasse will swim up to inspect you. Among Bonifacio's various boat tours, SPMB's shuttles are the most flexible. After a 30-minute journey, you can board any hourly voyage back following a quick circuit of private Cavallo. There are ample coves on the main stop, Lavezzi itself, ensuring reasonable space for early arrivals. Don't forget to bring supplies and your snorkelling ferrata, rafting, hydrofoiling and paragliding are available around the island, but the most established high-octane sport here is canyoning. Take an expert-led adventure in the pine-perfumed Verghellu Canyon south of Corte where you will navigate rope courses, zoom along a long zip line, slide over chutes, abseil down rock faces and leap off into transparent plunge pools. There are great views along the way, and full safety equipment is provided. Pause to admire Gustave Eiffel's impressively minimal, train-carrying Pont du Vecchio viaduct, which towers 84m above the river. • Discover our full guide to FranceThe Agriates Desert represents Corsica at its wildest — the air carries the sweet scent of the maquis shrub, while rocky scrublands give way to Castaway-style coves, some of them pristine white and eerily empty. Boats from Saint-Florent can take you to the western coves, but those further east often require a challenging hike, horseback ride, or a rugged 4×4 journey. Guided day trips from Calvi also offer this adventure, including stops at caves and abandoned villages before a four-hour visit to Ghignu Beach, where couples may find themselves leaving the first footprints in the sand. Embark on a half-day boat trip from Marine de Porto or Ajaccio and encounter three unforgettable sights. First, marvel at the Calanches de Piana, where peaks and pinnacles in russet-red hues take on a pinkish shade in sunlight — a Unesco World Heritage Site. Although visible from cars, the charming coastal village of Girolata is accessible only by boat or on foot. After a 30-minute stop there, continue to the osprey-patrolled Scandola Nature Reserve, where coastal caves and sea stacks dot the landscape. On the return journey, keep an eye on the shoreline for passing pods of serves as an excellent starting point for many island breaks and is less touristy compared to its charming rival, Ajaccio. This ensures an authentic experience, despite there being plenty to see. You can arrange a walking tour led by a local guide and customise what is included. This could involve exploring the mazy Old Town nestled along the harbour, taking breaks at cafés, visiting the twin-towered Church of St Jean-Baptiste, or ascending to the citadel above. Of particular interest is Bastia's wine scene — ask your guide to take you to a specialist bar or shop for a fully immersive has several striking beaches, but none can quite compare to Rondinara, often hailed as one of Europe's most beautiful. As you snake along the access road, you'll gasp in awe at the tantalising glimpse of the white sand and crystal-clear waters. Rondinara's twin headlands curve dramatically towards one another to form a perfect horseshoe. Once in situ you'll find that such shelter from the ocean yields calm, lagoon-like turquoise water whose shallowness suits families. Arrive before 10am to enjoy thinner crowds and the shadiest parking spaces. Loungers and parasols can be hired and there's a good trails litter the Col de Bavella in southern Corsica, offering incredible views of its jagged, needle-like outcrops. Some trails are gruelling and tough, while others are more leisurely. During a guided half-day climb, you can ascend, escaping the crowds and venturing into valleys blanketed with Laricio pines. A scenic picnic spot provides a marvellous viewpoint, offering glimpses of Sardinia and a chance to spot Corsican mouflon sheep, with their lean brown bodies and distinctive curving horns — the island's most emblematic of Corsica's tipples hail from the Patrimonio region of Cap Corse — a spindly peninsula that extends 25 miles north of Bastia and St Florent. Vineyards are just one reason to visit: you'll also discover pretty ports, Nonza's black-pebble beaches and especially well-preserved Genoese watchtowers. Devote a day to lazily driving the Cap's wiggly roads, stopping whenever you wish, and proceed anticlockwise from Bastia to enjoy the sun's gaze on both on Corsica can fire up the imagination quite like Bonifacio. Built in AD828 to deter pirates, its citadel overlooks the sea from a narrow ledge atop precipitous white bluffs. Take a private personalised walking tour with a local and check out the shop and café-lined lanes, the busy marina below, various viewpoints and the white-walled tombs of Campu Santu on the cliff edge — as beautiful a graveyard as you'll ever see. Descents down (and back up) the rock-carved King of Aragon's Staircase, whose steps finish almost at sea level, are Sartène being five miles inland, its history is full of pirates. After an attack by Barbary corsairs in 1583, in which 400 people were kidnapped and enslaved, the red-roofed hill town suffered constantly from the same foes' hands for centuries. Learn more in the town's Musée Départemental de Préhistoire, which, true to its name, also has artefacts from prehistory as well as the Bronze Age and the Iron Age. After, wander through Sartène's tangle of shopping streets and admire glorious views over southwestern Corsica before lunch on the focal Place de la Libération. • Best small-ship Mediterranean cruise lines• Best no-fly holidaysTake a boat trip from Bonifacio to explore the picturesque grottos lining this limestone coast in either direction. Right by southern Corsica's tip, the Saint-Antoine Grotto is memorably shaped exactly like Napoleon's bicorne hat; west of Bonifacio, the Sdragonato Grotto abounds with white stalactites, while its vivid green waters are full of fish. Allowing for their illuminate is an opening said to mimic the island's shape precisely. Boats will expertly enter right inside, with ample time taken so everyone can capture a zillion photographs. You'll also pass the King of Aragon's Pasquale Paoli's short-lived Corsican republic, Corte served as the capital. It's easy to understand why when visiting: aloft on pinnacle and fortified for more than 2,000 years, what remains of its original stronghold is regally circled by high peaks. The Musée de la Corse up there has more history, while things are far mellower in the newer, still-nationalist below, connected via steep stairways and cobbled alleys. It's where you'll find Corsica's only university (founded by Paoli and reopened in the 1980s), craft shops and hundreds of hikers, bikers and rock climbers every there's excellent grilled seafood to be devoured around the coast, Corsica's true cuisine is the meatier, more wholesome fare found inland. The most totemic dish is civet de sanglier (wild boar stew), the succulent, nutty meat usually slow-cooked with carrots, chestnuts, fennel and lots of red wine. Mountain restaurants and many in Corte, such as À Casa di L'Orsu, usually serve it. For pudding, see if fiadone — a lemony cheesecake minus the biscuit base, made with ricotta-like brocciu — is on the to those Corsican wines. The island's sunny, dry climate and constant range of altitudes make for optimum viticulture across nine designated AOC (Appellation d'origine contrôlée) areas. That may come as a surprise: with relatively few getting exported, the excellent wines here have something of an under-the-radar vibe. The vermentino grape dominates fruity, dry whites at Lumio's hangar-sized Clos Culombu — one of a few in La Balagne — alongside earthier, unoaked reds. Explore that Patrimonio region, and buy from Ajaccio's La Cave du Cardinal wild, the 1,500m-high Coscione Plateau is a little-visited mesa of rocks and spongy, flower-filled grass in central Corsica. Numerous streams crisscross it to form distinctive shallow pools known as pozzines. Adding to the winsome vibe are herds of free-ranging pigs, goats, cows and, most commonly, amiable wild horses. A rutted road leads from Quenza to a car park at the Bucchinera refuge, and from there several walking trails can be followed, each very gentle and free of people. Those coming on guided tours can leave navigation to an are more than 100 Grand Randonnée hiking trails in Europe and the GR20 in Corsica is reputedly one of the toughest. Covering 180km, the 16-stage trail follows the granite spine of the island from Conca in the south-east to Calanzana in the north-west (or vice versa), with lots of exposed ridges and steep ascents and descents along the way. The reward is ravishing mountain scenery, from the needle-like peaks of the Aiguilles de Bavella to the glacial Lac de Nino, limpid in grassy meadows. Tackle it in late June or early September, sleeping and eating in mountain refuges or carrying your own tent and food. From October to May the refugios are not manned and in winter the path can be Filitosa, a hillside site north of Propriano, you'll find a plethora of granite standing stones — some thought to date back to the 6th millennium BC and virtually unchanged except for minor weathering. However, it's the stones from the Bronze Age that will truly amaze you at Corsica's pre-eminent historical site. These stones feature intricately detailed faces and depictions of weapons, believed to honour notable individuals. Guided tours in English are available and afterwards you're free to explore the adjacent museum. Corsica's most chichi town is undoubtedly Porto-Vecchio. In another walled citadel, its old town lanes are full of natty clothing shops and restaurants built into the ramparts, each with a candlelit sea vista better than the last. Shoes clack on stony floors and noise emanates from the central piazza, almost every inch covered by café terraces and a great place in which to while away a few hours. So too is the old defensive Bastion de France's rooftop; its views are the best of all. Below sparkles one of Europe's foremost yacht harbours. Known to all as the Trinichellu (Little Train), Corsica's limited Chemins de fer de la Corse rail network impressively traverses its rugged interior. Most scenic is the two-hour ascent from Ajaccio to Corte — a riot of soaring views, chestnut forests, Gustave Eiffel's viaduct and the Bridal Veil waterfall. If heading north, sit on the left for the best scenery. After Corte, the line to Ponte Leccia bisects flatter mountain valleys; continue to Calvi and you'll pass river rapids and eventually follow sandy beaches right into town. Sant'Antonino has quite the CV. Not only has its good looks earned membership of the Most Beautiful Villages of France association, but this hilltop hamlet is one of Corsica's oldest inhabited settlements. Here in the Balagne region most neighbouring villages are equally handsome and well situated, especially Lumio, where lemon trees abound, and pottery-making Pigna. Explore at your own pace astride an ebike, hiring one in L'Île-Rousse, or sign up for an all-day driving tour from there or Calvi, which concludes with a Mediterranean swim. Ajaccio was where it all began for the Little Corporal. Napoleon Bonaparte was born on the capital's Rue Saint-Charles in 1769, living there with his Republican family for almost a decade and briefly returning years later. A large and austere residence, his old house is now Corsica's national museum, with its most famous son the understandable focus. Visitors can enter what is thought to have been Napoleon's bedroom and see a trapdoor through which he supposedly reached the port in 1799. Reservations are compulsory; the site is closed on Mondays. In central Corsica, nestled among picturesque valleys like Spelunca and Tavignano, is the small town of Corte. Here, the Restonica river winds through forested gorges, perfect for exploring by both road and foot. The river's shallow, blue-green pools are especially enjoyable on hot days. Smooth grey granite boulders provide spots to leave your clothes or bask in the sun, while pine trees and green-flowering hellebores add fragrance and shade. Just remember to keep your shoes on to avoid slipping. The haunting sound of a Corsican lament or lullaby, sung in a mountain village or ancient stone church, is one you're unlikely to forget. Traditionally performed a capella by groups of four to six men, the indigenous folk music was in danger of dying out until the 1970s, when it was revived alongside the independence movement. In the decades that followed, the vogue for World Music (especially Bulgarian chanting) brought it to the attention of an international audience, while groups such Les Nouvelles Polyphonies Corses, A Filetta and I Muvrini — who recorded a version of Fields of Gold with Sting — popularised it for modern tastes. The art form is celebrated every September at the Polyphonic Song Festival in the Calvi citadel, which brings together musicians from home and abroad. Blame the Genoans who, when they governed Corsica in the 16th century, decreed that each family should plant four trees annually, one of them a chestnut. Three centuries later, the hilly region southwest of Bastia was covered in the majestic trees, primarily producing flour to make bread. Emigration, war and chestnut blight changed all that, and today Castagniccia ('chestnut grove') has a fraction of its former population. With its winding lanes and charming villages, however, it is a gift to slow travellers, and chestnuts are still harvested in October and November to make cakes and other delicacies. Head to the Fiera di a Castagna in Bocognano in December to taste them and other Corsican treats, from olive oil to wine and jams, ewe's cheeses and cured ham from chestnut-fed pigs. To see the island's oldest woman, head to the Musee de l'Alta Rocca in the pretty mountain village of Levie. Dedicated to the island's rich archaeological heritage, its most famous exhibit is the Mesolithic Dame de Bonifacio, a roughly 9,000-year-old skeleton found in a rock shelter near the town. You can also see the remains of extinct animals which once roamed the island, plus Stone Age tools and Iron Age jewellery. Nearby, take a short circular hike to see Bronze Age hill forts of Cucuruzzu and Capula. • Best places for summer sun• Best family-friendly villas in France
Times
10-07-2025
- Times
The secret estate that channels the spirit of Corsica
On an island celebrated for its beaches, the Plage d'Erbaju in southwest Corsica is among the most beautiful. It is here that the Ortolo River reaches the sea, a meeting of sapphire blue and turquoise across a long curve of fine white sand. At either end are two headlands: one guarded by a lion-shaped rock formation, the Lion de Roccapina, gazing over a Genoese watchtower towards the hazy silhouette of Sardinia; the other home to the Table de la Plage, an artfully constructed driftwood restaurant that turns hyper-local produce into impeccable Mediterranean cuisine. As beaches go, it's pretty near perfect, enough to justify a trip on its own. But as is often the way in Corsica, the beach is only part of the story — in this case that of the Domaine de Murtoli, a 6,000-acre estate of largely untouched scrubland and forest that extends up the valley from the coast. For 30 years the estate has welcomed guests to its 20 holiday villas, all hidden away among the folds of its land for extra privacy, and to its nine-room Hôtel de la Ferme, together becoming some of the most in-demand accommodation on the island. Now the estate has added a second hotel, A Mandria di Murtoli, which opened in June in a former livestock enclosure, with ten rooms and suites set in landscaped grounds of golden immortelle shrubs and silvery-green olive trees. The new hotel is a 15-minute drive to the north of the older one, a route that passes wild boar as they scuttle through the fragrant maquis and holm oaks. Here the view is of the mountains: of granite rock protruding through waves of green; of the outlines of successive peaks, fading as they recede into a powder blue sky. The island, though known for its beaches, is also one of mountains — rising to the 2,700m-high Monte Cinto in the north — so much so that the 19th-century German geographer Friedrich Ratzel nicknamed it a 'mountain in the sea'. The Corsicans were historically a mountain people, who retreated to the interior to escape malaria, pirates and invaders on the coast. They lived in isolated villages, growing olives and chestnuts for oil and flour, keeping pigs and sheep for cured hams and delicious brocciu (a soft cheese made from whey and fresh ewe's milk). The culture of these communities was fascinating, as related in Dorothy Carrington's magnificent historical portrait of Corsica, Granite Island (1971). Coexisting alongside the Catholic religion were pagan beliefs that Carrington traced back to the megalithic era. Their more sensational elements included mazzeri, or 'night-hunters of souls', who would go out hunting in their dreams, kill the first animal they found, then predict the death, within the year, of the person they saw in the animal's face. There were also honour-based vendettas that could start with something as inconsequential as a donkey straying on to a rival family's land but trigger a series of murders that might wipe out an entire village, and bandits d'honneur who took to the maquis, often to escape a vendetta. • Discover our full guide to France The soul of old Corsica — or at least its more peaceful manifestation — lives on at the Domaine de Murtoli, which is named after myrtle, the pretty white aromatic shrub. It used to be a farm, where cattle roamed freely in the maquis. But when Paul Canarelli inherited it from his grandfather in 1993, he saw an opportunity to introduce high-end hospitality as well (his father owned the glamorous Grand Hôtel de Cala Rossa, now managed by his sisters, Hélène and Lise, in the popular beachfront resort of Porto-Vecchio). The holiday houses and shepherd's huts opened first, followed by the Hôtel de la Ferme in 2021. I spent one unforgettable night at A Manzetta, a 17th-century bergerie for four built in thick granite and rough limestone with an enormous dark-wood wardrobe. It felt wonderfully cool and ancient. In the morning Domaine's fées du logis ('house fairies') delivered a breakfast of rustic bread and jams, which I ate in an outdoor kitchen, overlooking a pool hewn out of the contours of the granite rock. 'Our aim is to offer authentic, family-friendly and generous hospitality that puts nature first,' says Paul's daughter, Santa, now the Domaine's gracious general manager, as she showed me to my suite at A Mandria di Murtoli. Named Amandula after the almond tree, this converted stable is one of three suites that have their own brick-lined plunge pool, a contemporary take on an old-school water trough (and a wonderful place to sit and read). There are also five rooms and suites in a main building, and two in former shepherd's huts. The spirit is the same as at the wider Domaine, yet more playful, colourful, contemporary and Italian in its expression — as if a breeze has blown in from Sardinia. The bricks are arranged in patterns, the terracotta mixed with glazed tiles by Cerasarda in the dappled hues of the Mediterranean. • Corsica's best beaches Outside, cobbled paths and low granite walls snake down to a huge swimming pool, which is surrounded by Balinese day beds with stripped-wood canopies. In the outdoor restaurant above the pool a stylish international clientele — the women in Greek goddess-style dresses — sip white beer flavoured with Murtoli gin, and dine on superior pasta dishes courtesy of the chef Damiano Colazzo (mains from £23). Retro Italian tunes are accompanied by the buzz of cicadas. The atmosphere is chilled and festive. Happily A Mandria guests also have access to the restaurants of the Domaine, which are dotted across the estate: the beachfront Table de la Plage (with its sensational lemon sorbet and meringue courtesy of the Parisian chef Yann Couvreur); the central Table de la Ferme (which serves Michelin-starred cuisine and more casual piattini or tapas, such as a plate of tomme and brocciu cheese); and the fantastical Table de la Grotte, set inside and atop a cluster of giant granite rocks linked by wooden walkways. Here, guests sit at tables among the rocks, sipping myrtle sours as the sun gilds the maquis, then move inside a series of candlelit caves for a traditional Corsican feast focused around a shoulder of lamb. All three restaurants use the estate's own produce: cheese, meat and veal from the sheep and cows grazing along the river, vegetables and herbs from two extensive potagers, honey from the estate's own hives. 'It has evolved gradually,' says Paul. 'It wouldn't be what it is if it hadn't.' • Best thing to do in Corsica As well as being an immense larder, the Domaine de Murtoli is a vast playground for hiking, hunting, fishing and golf — where 'everything is proposed, but nothing imposed'. There are treatments with Nucca products — an organic range developed by Hélène and Lise that uses Corsican plants — in two open-air structures at the beach or, at A Mandria di Murtoli, in your own room, and botanical workshops with the forager Florence Weis. Since July 1 guests have also been able to taste the estate's first wines, produced from the first 25 acres planted with Corsican grape varieties, sciacarello and vermentino among them. The vines grow in the shadow of the menhirs of Cauria, prehistoric standing stones that have stood here for 6,500 years. 'They have an energy that the plants can feel in the right conditions,' the vineyard manager David Barranger reckons. Murtoli is also well situated for visiting two of Corsica's most compelling towns, beginning with Bonifacio, a 40-minute drive along the coast. This deep narrow harbour between soaring chalk cliffs, its houses teetering on the edge, is thought to have been the home of the mythical Laestrygonians, the cannibalistic giants who attack Odysseus's fleet in Homer's epic poem. Its history is just as captivating and the climb from the port to the citadel and cemetery at the top walks you through it, taking in a five-month siege by the king of Aragon in 1420, in which the Genoese inhabitants resorted to eating all sorts of herbs — 'even those disdained by beasts'. Bonifacio is also a lovely place to shop — for beachwear, jewellery and maquis-scented diffusers by the Corsican brand Casonera, which provides the in-room products at A Mandria. The views to Sardinia are phenomenal. • Beautiful Mediterranean islands to visit There are more heart-stopping views in Sartène, 30 minutes' drive inland from Murtoli. This 'most Corsican of Corsican towns' was built on a rocky outcrop to better defend itself, and its Good Friday procession — U Catenacciu — features a chained penitent in a red-hooded cloak, hefting a heavy cross through the streets. Its medieval warren of narrow streets, stone stairways and tall granite houses would feel very King's Landing were it not for the tourist boutiques and restaurants. Back in the airy central Place de Libération, the most imposing building is the Church of Sainte Marie de l'Assomption, where every Thursday evening the Choeur de Sartène gives a concert of sacred and secular songs, sung a cappella by six male voices. Like Domaine de Murtoli, this polyphonic tradition is an authentic expression of the Corsica of old. I stood on the steps, entranced, as I had been by my Corsican adventure as a Johnson was a guest of A Mandria di Murtoli, which has B&B doubles from £206 ( of the Hameau de Saparale, and the Domaine Le Mouflon. Fly to Figari By Lisa Johnson While the Domaine de Murtoli is an established place to stay with a new vineyard, this 2,500-acre estate in the same valley is an established vineyard with a new four-star hotel. Originally planted with vines in 1845 by a Corsican lawyer who had spent 20 years in Africa — hence the elephant logo — the estate changed hands when his son left it to the housekeeper. The winemaker and oenologist Philippe Farinelli is her grandson and since 1998 he and his wife, Julie, have been replanting the vines and restoring the ruined buildings. They already offered tastings of their five ranges of organic wines and rented out three luxury shepherd's huts. Now they have opened the original manor house with 14 elegantly rustic rooms and suites and a chapel, as well as two separate family suites and a dining room over the wine cellar (the tomme soufflé is a standout). The swimming pool, hidden among citrus trees and agapanthus, has magical views over the valley, and at night the sky blazes with stars. Ebikes are available for riding through the estate's vines and untouched forest (there are no other buildings here), as well as to the beautiful Plage de Roccapina; Sartène and Cauria are both nearby. Details B&B doubles from £232 ( • More great hotels in Corsica The soaring granite Needles of Bavella are one of Corsica's greatest hits and this Relais & Châteaux five-star hotel — one hour's drive from Figari airport — offers an excellent view of them on the ten-minute walk into the village of Zonza. The hotel is well known among Corsicans: it was built in 1926 by the PLM (Paris-Lyon-Méditeranée railway company) and hosted the exiled king of Morocco and his 20 wives in 1953 — the owner, Anthony Bornea, has the photographs to prove it. He and his wife, Lise Canarelli — sister of Paul and Hélène, have spent six years resurrecting it, adding a fourth floor to the austere building and an outdoor pool to the 47 acres. There are 20 rooms (my junior suite looked out over a towering cedar of Lebanon) and two bergeries; an extensive spa is due to open next year. The refined and uncluttered interiors offset dark-wood furniture and shadowy oil portraits with white walls and sparkling chandeliers, and the food — eaten in an elegant dining room, belle époque conservatory or out on the terrace — is faultless. The Plateau de Coscione, Ospedale Lake and two stages of the redoubtable GR20 hiking trail are all nearby; biking and canyoning can also be B&B Doubles from £277 (
